


they say it fades, if you let it

by crookedcrown



Series: crown of love [2]
Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: M/M, gangsters!AU
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-08-22
Updated: 2013-08-22
Packaged: 2017-12-24 08:02:02
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,794
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/937547
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/crookedcrown/pseuds/crookedcrown
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>the alternate ending to the spark is not within me.</p>
<p>(you guys were so wonderful, how could I not?)</p>
            </blockquote>





	they say it fades, if you let it

**Author's Note:**

> This would take place instead of chapters 19 and 20.
> 
> Thanks for all your amazing comments!

Louis Tomlinson throws the biggest hissy fit Zayn has ever had the misfortune of witnessing, and Zayn has younger sisters. It kind of reminds him of a cat with the hissing and spitting, and the way Louis’ eyes narrow into thin blue slits.

He’s still yelling at Liam (technically he’s yelling at the both of them but Zayn flopped into the armchair after he pulled his pants and jeans on and completely tuned Louis out) 10 minutes after storming into the bedroom with an accusatory finger yelling, “Aha!” like an inept detective from a children’s novel.

Louis absolutely forbids them from leaving the flat, not until the sheets have been washed, dried and remade.

“Somebody rolled off the wrong side of the couch this morning,” Zayn drawled.

“First of all, it’s the afternoon. And secondly, Jesus, Zayn, put some clothes on!”

Zayn rolled his eyes and begrudgingly did as he was told.

“Can’t I just put fresh sheets on your bed?” Liam sighs. “I was going to do that anyway.”

“It’s not a punishment if you were going to do it anyway! Besides, it’s the principle of the matter!”

“And what’s that?”

“Don’t fucking fuck on my bed, you fucks!”

Liam stares at Louis for a minute before turning to Zayn. “Babe, did you get that?”

“Sure thing, babe.” Zayn says, deliberately not taking his eyes off from his game of Candy Crush even though he’s already used up all of his lives. “No fucking fuck fuck fuck!”

“See?” Liam implores. “We’ve learnt our lesson.”

Louis shakes his head.

Zayn spots Harry and his bird’s nest of a hair amble in behind Louis and disappear into the ensuite. He returns a few minutes later with a toothbrush in his mouth, blinking owlishly as he observes the commotion.

Louis gaze flicks towards him briefly before he pauses and then jerks his whole head over to look at Harry. He frowns. “Is that my toothbrush?”

Harry shrugs.

Louis’ eyebrow twitches.

Harry just grins a foamy smile.

Louis smacks a hand over his eyes and says, “I think we all need to start seeing other people.”

“Aw, Louis.” Liam, the gentle pushover, says while he shakes a pillow out of its sleeve. “Don’t be like that.” He tosses the case onto the small pile by his feet. “Do you know what would help cheer you up?”

“If you say the new Avengers movie, Liam James Payne, I swear I will fly across the room and claw your eyes out.”

Liam hesitates only for a second. “But I already bought the tickets!”

“Well, you should have thought about that before you fucked your boyfriend on my bed!”

Pursing his lips together, Liam yanks the sheet off the bed with more force than necessary.

Harry disappears back into the bathroom and then wanders back out, minty-breath fresh. But his hair’s still a natural disaster. “I’ll see you lads later, I'll meet you at the cinemas.”

He waves half-heartedly over his shoulder but is yanked to a stop by Louis hand grabbing his shirt’s collar. “Blargh!” He flails.

“Nope,” Louis says. “No one leaves until Liam’s done.”

Harry flails some more. “What did I do?”

“The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing.” Louis nods sagely.

Dropping his arms to his side, Harry’s brow knits together in confusion.

“Wow,” Liam says, “that sounds like something Captain America would say.”

Louis rolls his eyes and Harry finally huffs, “That’s not fair!”

Louis lets go. He holds his hands up and shrugs all, What can you do?

“Fine!” Harry throws his arms up in surrender. “But I’m hungry, so I’m making eggs! Does anyone else want some?” He shouts.

There’s a chorus of yeses. Harry nods, turns and stomps out.

Zayn knows Louis’ not really mad anymore, if he ever was. He’s just messing with them now, just because he can.

“You don’t always have to do what he says, you know.” Zayn pipes up, mainly because he hasn’t said anything in awhile and his phone’s battery is dying.

Louis whirls around and pins Zayn with a glare.

Liam gathers all the sheets in his arms and says, “It’s easier than arguing with him.”

“You,” Louis says slowly, stalking towards him. “Liam would never have done this on his own.”

Zayn smirked, feeling utterly sated. “Who else would he have sex with on your bed?”

There’s a wicked edge to Louis’ sudden grin and Zayn is immediately suspicious. “Wouldn’t you like to know,” he says, trying to sound nonchalant nut he knows he's hit target with absolute precision.

Zayn scowls. Louis’ good.

“Oi!” Liam strolls by, hip checking Louis as he passes. “Don’t listen to him.”

 

 

“Liam!” Zayn shouts from the living room. “It won’t go faster if you stare at it.” 

“I’m not staring!” Liam lies.

Zayn elbows Louis. “You done being an arse yet?”

“Nah,” Louis replied, not taking his eyes off the TV.

During the commercial break, Louis nudges Zayn with his knee and shows him his phone. “I already bought tickets to the late session.”

Zayn shakes his head and smiles. “Secret softie.”

Louis holds a finger up to his lips.

 

 

Zayn’s making more tea in the kitchen when Liam pads in. “I didn’t read the instruction label before I shoved everything into the dryer,” he says guiltily. 

Zayn grins and kisses him gently. “You’ll be right.”

Liam wraps his arms around Zayn, pulling him in for another kiss.

Zayn’s only just got his tongue in Liam’s mouth when his burner starts ringing. Liam immediately lets go, so Zayn can answer.

It’s the Golden Rule.

“Yeah?”

“Zayn!” Perrie sounds like she’s been crying. His heart lurches.

“Perrie, are you okay?” He says. Liam’s beside him in an instant.

“I’m okay. But,” she takes a deep breath, “someone shot up the pub.” Zayn turns sharply to Liam, eyes wide. “Nobody’s hurt,” Perrie adds quickly. “The police were there and me and Paul got taken in for questioning. Paul’s still at the station but they let me go. He told me to tell you to stay where you are. Don’t go anywhere, don’t do anything.”

“Where are you?”

“Me and Jade are going to stay with my parents for a bit. I won’t be able to contact you for a few days.”

“Okay,” Zayn says, still feeling stunned. “Okay. Stay you safe.”

“You too.”

She hangs up.

Without saying a word, he takes Liam’s hand and leads him to the living room with the rest of the boys.

He repeats what Perrie said.

There is silence as the information sinks in.

Then Louis is on his feet, furious as he stalks the room. Liam has his head in his hands and Harry’s staring past Zayn’s shoulder.

“What was the fucking point of that fucking truce if that fucking fucker was just going to pull a fucking drive-by!”

“False sense of security?” Zayn offers when no one else replies.

“It might not even be Max,” Liam finally says.

“Bullshit.” Louis shakes his head. “Who else would be so stupid and reckless?”

Harry picks up the remote and switches the channel to BBC News.

Louis sits back down and they all watch the headlines of more wars, more riots, more natural disasters happening around the world. And then it circles back to local news.

The presenter talks about the shooting, about the pub owned by Simon Cowell and how he couldn’t be reached for comment, about alleged criminal activities, about police appealing for witness or any information. And then it runs off into something about the NHS.

Louis jabs the off button on the remote and closes his eyes. “I have an idea,” he says. “But you’re not going to like it.” He cracks open one eye and looks at Liam.

Liam scrubs a hand across his face and leans forward. “When has that ever stopped you?”

“We call the police, we leave an anonymous tip. They find Max with one toe out of line and he’s back in.”

Liam grimaces. “We’re not snitches.”

Louis sighs like he'd expected that answer. “Did you see the same thing I saw? This shit is escalating faster than any of us can control. Now is not the time for you to get caught up in your twisted sense of morals, Liam! He just shot up the pub in broad daylight! It’s dumb luck that no one was fucking hit.”

“We were supposed to be there,” Harry says flatly, hands twisting in his lap. “And then we were going to the movies. It’s dumb luck that we weren’t.” He looks up, his eyes catching briefly with Zayn’s before he goes back to staring at his feet.

Zayn realises Harry’s right. That had been the plan. Harry needed to see Paul, so they we’re all just going to stop by. His heart clenched at thought of any of them being caught in the crossfire.

“So do we wait for the dumb luck to run out, or do we do something about it?” Louis reaches over and clasps Liam’s forearm. “There’s no honour among thieves, Liam, not anymore. Max has been digging his own grave since day one. And I say we bury him before he can take anyone else down with him.” He pauses. “Metaphorically speaking.”

Shaking his head, Liam says, “They’re not going to throw away the key over a parole violation.”

“We just need more time, a breather,” Louis reasons. “At this rate, we’re barrelling down a dangerous path and I’m not the only one who sees how this could end.”

No, he’s not. His treacherous mind considers what it would be like to lose any of them, to lose Liam. One minute they're squabbling about linen and cold tea, and the next --

The thought collapses in on itself then. He can't. He can't even imagine it.

Liam looks at Louis, at Harry, and then at Zayn. His gaze drops to his cheek, and there it lingers.

Then he looks away. “It’s not just going to end, not like that.”

“No,” Zayn agrees, taking Liam’s hand in his. “But it’s a start.” He squeezes their fingers together and presses a kiss to Liam’s knuckle. I'm going to put a ring there, he vows to himself. You're going to meet my family. They are going to love you. We're going to go to Mullingar, we're going to see Niall. There's more, there's so much more than this. Let me show you. Let me.

He doesn't say any of this out loud but Liam's breath stutters in his throat like he heard it all anyway, could feel it in the gentle caress of Zayn's lips against his skin.

 Liam's eyes flutter shut and then, finally, he nods.

 

It’s a start.

 

**Author's Note:**

> GROUP HUG TIME, RIGHT? ...RIGHT?


End file.
